PRISONERS OF HOPE

I often ask the Lord for a word in due season. One that will encourage a heart that may need it that would stop by the blog. This morning..I'm resharing something that I need to be reminded of. Hope....can't live without it.

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Joshua 1:1-3

When I was raising my children I never wanted to break a promise to them. I tried to under promise and over deliver because I didn’t want to hear their words of disappointment claiming, “You promised.” I wanted them to trust and believe me, and know that their mother was a woman of her word. Therefore, I often had to add qualifiers…. if it doesn’t rain, if your dad gets home in time etc.

Our Father shows even more care in fulfilling His promises. Joshua 21:45 could proclaim, “Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.”NASB He had promised Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses a land and even though they were long gone, He kept His word. “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.” Hebrews 11:13a NIV

I am brought to my knees by the faithfulness of God. Not one of His promises to us will fail. Even when we close our eyes in death we can rest assured that His promise to us will be fulfilled even if we don’t get to see it come to pass in our life time. He is a covenant making God, a promise keeping God and we who know Him are “prisoners of hope”.

There have been times in my life when I wanted to suppress my expectations because I didn’t want to deal with another round of disappointment. I was sure the fulfillment of a promise was just around the corner and it wasn’t. I found that I couldn’t continue very long in a pit (that is where it takes us) of hopelessness. It was not because I was such a woman of faith, but because He is and always has been a God who keeps His word. As I stayed in His word, and prayed His word the faith, hope, and confidence in His loving heart would rise once again. In Zechariah 9:12 Israel is told to return to their “stronghold” you prisoners of hope. In this Scripture the stronghold is a good thing. It is a high place, a fortress of safety and I would much rather live there than in a pit of doubt and unbelief.

I was given a Fruit of the Spirit Bible by a dear friend. One morning as I was reading my eyes fell on this remark in the notes, “Jesus, if I do not see your promises fulfilled today, I will set my alarm extra early tomorrow morning." I believe that is a heart attitude that is a delight to our Father and will strengthen those who live with us or around us.

Are you in a pit of hopelessness? Are your eyes on the problem or the promises? Lift your eyes to the One who does not lie and cannot go back on His word. Return to your place of safety. Trust in Him at all times O people. By all means pour out your heart to Him; He will be your refuge. Psalm 62:8 NASB Tell Him you are struggling. He already knows it, so ask Him to restore you to that place of safety. Trust Him.

Lord, I believe you are at work even when I don’t see your hand. You are trustworthy and I am a prisoner of hope. Thank you for your covenant keeping ways and your unfailing love.

I Know

"For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day." 2 Timothy 1:12
NKJV

Great quote but better reality.

God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.” ~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

Be On Guard

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." Jude 1:17-18
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19

I listened to one of the most deceitful things that I have heard in a long time yesterday. It was the pastor of a mega church announcing his homosexuality to his congregation. His motivation was to spare teens who are grappling with their sexual identity from the anguish that would drive them to suicide. His message was that you are who you are and that is fine with God. Anything in the Bible that leads you to believe it is wrong is to be ignored. He stated clearly that he believes the Bible is inspired but not true in all of the teachings. He urged his congregation to listen to Paul when he teaches on Jesus, but ignore his teachings on homosexuality because Paul basically didn’t even understand sex between a man and a woman much less the subject of sexual orientation.

Of course it was all baptized under the covering of love and acceptance i.e. approval. I agree with the love, but I don’t agree with the acceptance/approval. I went to church with a man who was a convicted pedophile. He’s attracted to children. I can love him and try to understand his brokenness, (he was molested as a child) but I will never approve or accept that this is the way his desires take him. We are a fallen race and never is it more apparent than in our sexuality. I am not suggesting people deny their sinful bents, I am proclaiming that Christ came to set the captives free and to make us whole and healthy human beings. Tiger Woods is a heterosexual and yet he is terribly bent and needs the healing power of God. He is a slave to his sexual appetites. To tell him that is just the way he rolls and we all accept that is to condemn him to the lifestyle of a roaming dog. Never free to bond to and really love a woman. Never free to be a wholesome example for his children through the redemption that is available through the cross of Jesus Christ. I pray that someday he will find his way to the cross of Christ who came to set the captives free.

I think one of the most disturbing things about this pastor's message was to observe the people in his congregation giving hardy approval as he twisted the word of God and justified himself. He was granted several standing ovations and other signs of approval. In Romans 1:32 the Apostle Paul warns us of those who “although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Seeing all these things that are coming to pass what manner of people should we be? Beloved friend, my purpose in writing of this is to say, “Arm yourself for battle. In these last days difficult times are upon us. Ground yourself in the word and love of God.” "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:17-18